Abstract

A multiwavelength backscatter
LIDAR
(Light Detection And Ranging) was developed and operates at Centro de Investigaciones en Láseres y Aplicaciones, CEILAP (CITEFA‐CONICET), (34.5 S and 58.5 W) to study the atmospheric properties such as the aerosol optical parameters, the boundary layer evolution, and the water vapor vertical distribution. The emission system is based on a Nd:YAG laser emitting at the fundamental, second and third harmonic wavelengths. The reception unit was upgraded to collect the atmospheric elastic and nitrogen Raman backscatters from the second and third harmonic wavelength and the water vapor Raman backscatter from the third harmonic wavelength. The information from all these channels give us enough information to derive the vertical distribution of the total to molecular backscatter, the backscatter to extinction ratio (lidar ratio) and the Ångström coefficient. In addition, water vapor mixing ratio profile is also measured by using the Raman water vapor and nitrogen channels (408 and 387 nm).